Soil tilling and planting implement

ABSTRACT

A mount for a trash whipping implement for connection to a planter is disclosed. A height and force adjustable mounting system is also disclosed for use with a planter that enables the force of such an implement on the soil to be modulated as desired.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.13/158,732, filed Jun. 13, 2011, which, in turn, is acontinuation-in-part of a non-provisional application Ser. No.12/771,219, filed Apr. 30, 2010 which claims priority to provisionalApplication No. 61/214,955, filed Apr. 30, 2009, and claims priorityfrom both applications which are also deemed incorporated by referencein their entirety in this application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

This invention is generally directed to the field of agriculturemachinery, and more particularly, it relates to a preplanting tillageimplement used in combination with a seed planting device. Specifically,the invention relates to a rolling basket tillage implement or a trashmoving or trash whipping device used in tandem with a seed plantingimplement in which the rolling basket or trash whip may have anindependent height adjustment aspect.

II. Related Art

In the spring, prior to planting, farmers must prepare their fields foraccepting seed. Many tillage implements have been designed and are usedto condition the soil in preparation for planting. Traditional farmingincludes both primary and secondary tillage tasks to prepare the soilsuch as plowing, disking, field cultivating and harrowing. Disking is anexample of a method of primary tillage and harrowing is an example of amethod of secondary tillage.

Primary tillage is a first pass over the soil using a soil conditioningimplement attached to the rear of a tractor which works deep into thesoil. The soil is usually worked about four inches deep to break upclods of soil, remove air pockets, and destroy weeds deep in the earth.Secondary tillage involves another pass over the same soil, at a moreshallow depth, using implements which are generally attached to the rearof the primary tillage unit such that the secondary tillage unit followsthe primary tillage unit. The secondary tillage unit generally works thesoil to a depth of about two inches.

The secondary tillage unit is usually a final conditioning tool toprepare the soil for planting. Such units may chop up crop residues,break up soil clods and break up any crust on the top of the soil,provide weed control, incorporate chemicals into the soil, and stir andfirm the soil closer to the surface.

Rolling basket seedbed finishers represent an important type ofsecondary soil conditioning implement. Rolling baskets are primarilyused as soil leveling devices to break up and minimize clods of soil andto remove air pockets from the soil. Farmers obtain great benefit fromusing rolling baskets as a means of secondary tillage to provide a levelsoil for planting. The ability to break up clods of soil, remove airpockets and further incorporate chemicals generally leads to better cropyields at harvest.

Accordingly, it would be beneficial if a secondary tillage operationusing a rolling basket could advantageously be combined with a plantingoperation such that one could take immediate advantage of soil incondition for planting by accomplishing the planting project during thesame pass over a field. Thus, the attachment of rolling basket tillagefor use in conjunction with a seed planting implement would bedesirable.

However, the use and effectiveness of rolling baskets or other soilconditioning implements is greatly limited by the condition of the soil.If the soil is too wet, rolling basket soil conditioning implements maybecome filled and clogged with soil which make them useless for furthersoil conditioning until they are again emptied of soil. When a farmerrealizes that areas of soil in a field are too wet to use suchimplements, he will generally forego the use of such soil conditioningimplements entirely for the season. This means that much of the soil maynot be properly treated and an expensive farming implement will layidle. This is not a desirable or economically efficient situation forfarmers.

It would, therefore, also be beneficial to provide an arrangement ormechanism that enables intermittent use of a soil conditioningimplement, particularly a rolling basket seedbed finisher, and/or aplanter in a field where areas of soil are dry enough for use, but wherethere are also areas which are too wet for use. Such a device wouldallow a farmer to raise rolling basket seedbed finishers above the soiland out of use whenever they reach a section of a field where the soilis too wet and thereafter enable the rolling basket finisher to belowered and reconnect with the soil in areas where the soil is suitablefor use.

Trash moving or trash whip devices represent another type of equipmentwhich can be advantageously added to a row crop planter to handleamounts of crop residue often present on a field to be replanted,particularly if no till farming is being employed. Minimal till or notill farming leaves an amount of crop residue on a field which mayinterfere with subsequent seeding operations and so needs to be movedaside from planted rows. The trash whips normally include pairs ofangled disks with radially directed teeth or spikes which move cropresidue out of the way in advance of planting. The trash whips arenormally mounted so that the angled disks form a V-shape and they may ormay not overlap.

One problem associated with the operation of trash whippers iscontrolling the depth of operation of the disk spikes in the field. Someof the present trash whipping devices are mounted at a fixed verticaldistance from a tool bar on a planter. The height is adjustable betweena series of fixed vertical location settings only. There is noindependent control over the force exerted by the implement. Some othercurrent trash whipping devices use air cylinders to modulate resistancein one direction.

Thus, if the lift force or down pressure force on the trash whippingdevice could be controlled and adjusted, as needed, it would present adistinct advantage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present concept is related to combining said conditioning implementin the form of rolling basket seedbed finishers with planters toaccomplish multiple tasks in a single pass. An aspect of the presentconcept relates to mounting rolling basket seed finishers on plantingequipment. A further aspect of the present concept is related to amounting assembly for a soil conditioning implement in the form of arolling basket seedbed finisher. The mounting assembly is for individualrolling baskets which are a part of a plurality of such soilconditioning implements generally arranged in a spaced aligned manner ona multi-row planter, seed drill or other implement, which is used todistribute seeds into the soil, hitched to and pulled by a tractor orother prime mover.

Certain embodiments of the mounting assembly include a height adjustablemounting arrangement for each of the rolling basket soil conditioningimplements. Each height adjusting mechanism includes an actuator foradjusting the relative height of a corresponding rolling basketindividually, and an associated control system for operating the heightadjusting mechanism. The actuator preferably includes a hydraulic orpneumatic cylinder, which may be single or double acting. It is also anaspect of the present invention for the mounting assemblies andassociated implements to be combined with a planter and arranged suchthat rolling basket soil conditioning takes place in front of eachindividual seed planting unit on a planter.

In a preferred embodiment, each mounting assembly for each rollingbasket soil conditioning implement may be controlled from a centralcontrol system that includes control switches or a control pad, or thelike, having a control device associated with each rolling basketlocated in the cab of an associated tractor. In this manner, a user isable to adjust the height of each mounting assembly individually andtherefore the height of each associated soil conditioning rolling basketimplement may be adjusted individually as needed.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a plurality ofactuator devices such as pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, or the like,together with the necessary controls can be connected to be operatedfrom the cab of a tractor or other farm implement device prime mover byconventional means in a well known manner.

In other embodiments, the rolling basket devices may be fixed to theplanter and other mechanical devices may be used to apply varyingdegrees of force to the soil being processed. These include compressionor torsion springs, inflatable air bags, shock absorber devices whichmay be spring loaded, or the like.

Air bag systems may be single or double acting and an embodiment isshown with dual air bags. A dual air bag system is also shown in anembodiment in which trash whipping devices are attached to the planter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of one or more preferred embodiments, especially whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a mounting assembly using ashell-type assembly to attach to a rolling basket;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the mounting assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an alternative mounting assemblyattaching a rolling basket;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the mounting assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates the mounting assembly of FIGS. 3 and 4 attached tothe front of a planting implement with the soil conditioning rollingbasket shown in a raised position;

FIG. 6A is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the soil conditioningrolling basket implement in a lowered ground engaging position;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7A is a schematic perspective view showing a rolling basketattached to a main frame member of a planter implement;

FIG. 7B is a view similar to FIG. 7A with a double acting air bag as theactuator;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the mounting assembly of FIGS. 3-7 attached toa farming implement;

FIGS. 9A-9F depict other embodiment of rolling baskets similar to thoseof FIGS. 1 and 3 using other types of actuating or force-applyingdevices;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a pneumatic control system for controllingmounting assemblies and a schematic drawing of a rolling basket soilconditioning system combined with a multi-row planter;

FIG. 11A is a side elevation view of an alternate embodiment of theinvention using a dual air bag deployment/retraction system shown withthe lower assembly and rolling basket in the down or deployed position;

FIG. 11B is a view taken along section lines 11B-11B in FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12A is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 11A shownwith the rolling basket in the raised or retracted position;

FIG. 12E is a sectional view taken along line 12B-12B in FIG. 12A;

FIG. 13A is a front elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 11A shownwith the rolling basket in the raised or retracted position;

FIG. 13B is a sectional view taken along line 13B-13B of FIG. 13A;

FIG. 14A is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 11A showing therolling basket in the up or retracted position;

FIGS. 14B and 14C are opposed sectional views along lines 14B-14B and14B-14C, respectively of FIG. 14A;

FIG. 15A is a top plan view similar to FIG. 14A with the rolling basketin the down or deployed position;

FIGS. 15B and 15C are opposed sectional views along 15B-15B and 15C-15C,respectively of FIG. 15A;

FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 11Ashowing the rolling basket in the raised or lowered or deployedposition;

FIG. 17A shows a schematic view of a five-port air valve assembly inaccordance with the invention shown in a first position that enables thedown force air bag to inflate and the up force air bag to collapse;

FIG. 17B is a perspective sectional view of the air valve assembly ofFIG. 17A taken half way through the valve body or block;

FIG. 18A depicts a schematic view of the valve assembly of FIG. 17A in asecond position that enables the up force air bag to inflate and thedown force air bag to collapse; and

FIG. 18B is a perspective sectional view of the air valve assembly ofFIG. 18A taken half way through the valve body or block;

FIGS. 19A-19F represent respective top, left side elevation, frontelevation, right side elevation, bottom and perspective views of a trashwhipping attachment for a planter with a pneumatic dual air bagdeployment/control system shown with air bags removed for clarity;

FIGS. 20A, 20B and 20C are, respectively, left side elevation, frontelevation and right side elevation views of adjustable mounts for trashwhipping disks shown without disks attached for clarity;

FIGS. 21A, 21B and 21C are, respectively, views similar to FIGS. 20A,20B and 20C with trash whipping disks attached;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of an electronic pneumatic regulator, andmanual pneumatic regulator illustrating the positioning operation of theassociated trash whipping device; and

FIGS. 23A and 23E are perspective and front views of a lower assemblyfor attaching trash whipper disks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This description of the preferred embodiments is intended to illustraterepresentative examples of inventive concepts and is not intended to belimiting as to the scope of the concepts. The examples are to be read inconnection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be consideredpart of the entire written description of this invention. In thedescription, relative terms such as “lower”, “upper”, “horizontal”,“vertical”, “above”, “below”, “up”, “down”, “top” and “bottom” as wellas derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”,etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then describedor as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms arefor convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus beconstructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as“connected”, “connecting”, “attached”, “attaching”, “join” and “joining”are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface beingsecured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in onepiece, unless expressively described otherwise.

An aspect of the invention is directed to an adjustable mounting bracketassembly for attaching a soil conditioning implement in the form of arolling basket device, particularly to the frame of a planter.

As shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 3-8, the mounting assembly 2, for arolling basket soil conditioner 10 comprises at least three parts, aheight adjustable mounting 4, a height adjusting mechanism or actuator,which may be in the form of a hydraulic (6A in FIG. 9E) or pneumaticcylinder 6, and an associated control system (FIG. 10) for operating aplurality of such height adjusting mechanisms to adjust the height of aplurality of spaced associated connected rolling baskets as normallyused in tandem with a planter as towed by a tractor.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the height adjustable mounting 4 is composedof several parts including an attachment plate 12 and a pair of spacedparallel side plate members 16 and attachment arms 18 for coupling therolling basket soil conditioning implement to the attachment plate 12.The attachment plate 12 is adapted to be fixed to the frame of a farmingimplement in the form of a conventional planter along with theattachment plates of other units such that the soil ahead of eachplanting unit is conditioned.

Each mounting assembly includes spaced arms 18 which extend away from anassociated rolling basket soil conditioning and leveling implement 10which is journaled for rotation between the arms 18 as at 20. The arms18 connect to the members 16 fixed to the attachment plate 12. The arms18 are connected to each other by a common crossbar 24 which alsosupports one end of a cylinder or actuator 6.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the arms 18 and the members 16 of theattachment plate 12 are designed such that they pivotally connect toeach other. Any manner known in the art which connects and enables thearms 18 to pivot at 22 relative to the members 16, such as bearings,bushings, etc., can be employed so that the adjustable mounting 4 isable to move towards and away from the surface of the ground with theoperation of cylinder 6 which may be attached using a clevis arrangementas at 26 to attach the rod end and a bracket arrangement as at 28 toattach the blind end of the cylinder 6 to the attachment plate 12.

The height adjusting actuator 6 may be a hydraulic or pneumaticcylinder, or other devices, as illustrated, those skilled in the artwill recognize that any mechanical mechanism able to raise and lower thesoil conditioning implement 10, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, may be used.Thus, in some embodiments, height adjusting depends on raising theplanter with the rolling baskets attached. In those embodiments,downward force may be provided by a spring-operated mechanism, aninflatable air spring, or any similar system known in the art, such asare shown in FIGS. 9A-9D. As indicated, several preferred embodimentsutilize pneumatic cylinders as compressed air is generally available ontractors to connect to and operate farm implements. It will berecognized, however, that hydraulic systems are also commonly used inthese types of applications.

The rolling basket units 10 further include a pair of side plates 30connected by a plurality of spaced steel bars 32 which may be internallyor externally attached to the plates 30. A central spindle or axle 34 isalso provided.

FIGS. 5, 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B also depict a planting implement 35 having aseed distributing arrangement 36 (FIG. 6B) and a connecting frame 37including a main structural member 38 that connects together a pluralityof similar units 35.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6A, the operation of the actuator 6 serves toraise and lower the soil conditioning rolling basket implement 10 inaccordance with the operation of a control system. It should be notedthat in an implement carrying a plurality of soil conditioning rollingbaskets 10, as shown in FIG. 10, an associated control system enablesthe raising and lowering of the soil conditioning implementsindividually as desired by the operator in the tractor or other towingvehicle. It may also enable the soil conditioning implement 10 to bepositioned in a floating mode riding the soil surface or lowered withapplied force as needed.

An alternate embodiment of the mounting bracket assembly is showngenerally at 102 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and also includes a height adjustablemounting 104. That system utilizes a shell or shroud 114 covering theupper portion of the rolling basket 110. Pivotally connected members 116and arms 118 are shown together with mounting bracket 120 and clevisattachment 122. The actuating cylinder or other such device is notshown.

FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing of a soil conditioning system used with amulti-row seed planter so that a field may be properly leveled andthereafter receive seeds from the planter modules. In this schematicdrawing, a tow bar 40 is connected to a trailer tongue 42 that isadapted to be connected by a clevis (not shown) to a towing workvehicle, such as a farm tractor. Secured to the tow bar are a pluralityof rolling basket tillage devices 44.

Primary tillage devices (not shown) may for example, comprise diskharrows or rake harrows of conventional design known in the art may beused prior to employing the rolling baskets. As previously explained,the primary harrows are arranged to dig deeper into the soil andtypically produce clumps depending on soil type and moisture content. Itis preferable that the clumps become crushed and broken up and the soilleveled by the action of the secondary rolling basket devices 44 leavingthe field prepared to receive seed at the time of seeding and the seeddistributed by planter modules 46.

The user or driver of the tractor or other prime mover determineswhether the soil is too wet for the soil conditioning implements 2 toeffectively work or not. If the soil is too wet, the user sends a signalvia the control system, to activate the height adjusting mechanism 4. Ina preferred embodiment, the height adjusting mechanism is connected to apneumatic system which has an air compressor 52 for maintaining apredetermined pressure in an accumulator 50. At least one pneumaticsolenoid valve 58 is connected between the accumulator and each actuator6 to control the application of the pressure supplied to the actuator 6.A manifold 58 in FIG. 10 is shown as supplying pressurized air, viasolenoid valves 56, to one or more actuators 6 under control ofelectrical signals from an operator's controller module which includes akey pad control (which may be remote) at 60. A combined electrical andpneumatic connection is shown at 62 and a manifold controller is shownat 64. The system may incorporate a pressure regulator (not shown) toadjust the amount of force (from the pressurized air) applied to raisethe soil conditioning implement.

Pressurized air is then supplied to the pneumatic cylinders 6 in a wellknown manner to the mounting assembly, which, in turn, will raise thesoil conditioning implement if the user has determined the soil in thatlocation is too wet for use, or lower the soil conditioning implement ifthe soil is suitable to use the soil conditioning implement. It will beappreciated that the cylinders 6 may be single or double acting withsingle acting cylinders used to raise the soil conditioning implementson the power stroke and allow the basket to float under its own weightwhen the pressure is released. Double acting cylinders can be used tofix the implement in a lowered position.

As also shown in FIG. 10, each of the plurality of rolling basket soilconditioning assemblies may be placed in front of each of a plurality ofseed distribution units of a planter as at 46 to ready the soil toreceive the seeds. Each of the mounting assemblies for the soilconditioners may be controlled individually or simultaneously withothers. Also, groups of mounting assemblies may be controlled. If themounting assemblies are controlled individually, the manifold 58 (eitherpneumatic or hydraulic), may supply pressurized air through the use ofsolenoid valves 56. The operator is able to control the heightadjustment and so the application of one soil conditioning implement, aspecific group of soil conditioning implements, or all of the soilconditioning implements using the control pad 60 in the cab of thetractor. As indicated, the control pad 60 may be any kind known in theart for sending control signals to solenoid or other pneumatic orhydraulic valves.

The system allows for maximum efficiency of the soil conditioningimplements, for if one row or a few of the rows in a field are too wet,but the remaining rows are dry, the user may selectively apply the soilconditioning rolling basket implements to suitable rows. The user,therefore, is able to maximize the effect of using rolling basket soilconditioning devices in a field.

FIG. 7A depicts a rolling basket device 10 in accordance with theinvention fixed to the main structural member 38 of a plantingimplement, a unit of which is shown at 35 in which the attachment plate12 is attached to the member 38 by an additional framework 70. A similararrangement is shown in FIG. 7B in which the actuator is a double actingair bag system as at 72.

FIGS. 9A-9E depict alternative actuator devices used in combination withthe rolling baskets. They include a pair of torsion springs as at 80 inFIG. 9A which are used to provide an amount of downward force on therolling basket 10. Similarly, FIG. 9B utilizes a compression spring 82connected between mounting plate 12 and cross member 24. A spring andshock absorber arrangement 84 is shown in FIG. 9C and a single actingair bag or air shock absorber is shown in FIG. 9D.

It should be noted that rolling baskets having mounting arrangementswith devices providing downward force only are normally raised manuallywhen they need to be out of contact with the soil. They are held in araised position using a manually-operated latch system such as is at 88shown in FIG. 9F.

Another embodiment is shown in the several views of FIGS. 11A-16 inwhich dual air bags or inflatable pneumatic actuators are used to loweror deploy and raise or retract the rolling basket. This rolling basketsystem is shown generally at 200 and includes a rolling basket 202,which is mounted to a height adjusting mechanism 204 using a pair ofspaced parallel side plate members 206 and 208, which are fixed to alower assembly 210, which includes a main member 212, which may be inthe form of a heavy tube member, and which connects to the side platemembers 206 and 208. The lower assembly, with the side plate members 206and 208, in turn, pivots around a pair of spaced, shoulder bolts 214,which connect it to a mounting structure including shaped members 216fixed to or are part of attachment or mounting plate 218, which, inturn, can be fastened to a main implement such as a multi-row planter,as shown in FIG. 10, at a plurality of places 220 using conventionalbolts, or the like, as at 221.

The rolling basket system further includes a down force or deploymentair bag arrangement that includes a down force or deployment air bag 222mounted between a bottom pedestal 224 and a fixed upper bracket 226. Thebottom pedestal is mounted to the lower assembly by spaced members 228and spaced fulcrum members 230 which are fixed to member 212 and members228 and 230 connected by opposed shoulder bolts 232 such that thepedestal can pivot freely on the shoulder bolts.

The system further includes an up force or retraction air bagarrangement that includes an up force or retraction air bag 234 that ismounted between a moving upper U-shaped bracket 236 and a bent flangemember 238. As best seen in FIG. 12E, spaced legs of bracket 236 arealso fixed to the lower assembly 210 by spaced fulcrum plates 240 whichare fixed to member 212 and the spaced legs of bracket 236 are connectedpivotally to fulcrum plates 240 by opposed shoulder bolts 242 on whichthe bracket 236 can pivot freely.

Air lines 244 and 246 are connected respectively to down force and upforce air bags 222 and 234 and to a conventional supply of pressurizedair not shown. The system is configured so that, when high pressure airis introduced to inflate one bag, the other bag can deflate.

FIGS. 11A, 11B and 15A-15C show the lower assembly 210 and basket 202 inthe deployed or down position with the down force air bag fullyinflated. As the down force bag 222 inflates, it causes the lowerassembly to pivot downward and deploy the basket 202 downward. The actof the lower assembly moving downward causes the bracket 236 connectedto lift bag 234 to be displaced downward forcing air out of andcollapsing the lift bag, as shown in FIG. 11B. Conversely, as shown inFIGS. 12A, 12B, 13B and 14A-C, to raise or retract the lower assembly210 and basket 202, the lift bag 234 is fully inflated, which causes thebracket 236 to move upward and the lower assembly to rotate upward aboutshoulder bolts 232 and 214, which, in turn, causes the bottom pedestal224 to be displaced upward and this collapses or deflates down force airbag 222. The lifting force of the air bag 234 is transferred to thelower assembly 210 through bent flange 238. Shoulder bolts 242 connectthe legs of bracket 236 with fulcrum members 240.

It will become apparent that each of the shoulder bolts that transferforce from the air bags to the lower assembly travel pivotally about afulcrum, as best shown at 230 and 242 in the figures. The fulcrums, inturn produce an arcuate motion of the side plate members 206 and 208, asthey raise and lower member 212 and the lower assembly. In that manner,the lower assembly travels along the arc of a circle when deployed andretracted with the main shoulder bolts 214 as pivots.

FIGS. 17A-17C and 18A-18B depict a five-port air valve assembly in twoalternate positions. The assembly, generally at 300, includes ports 302,304, 306, 308 and 310 and cylinder 312, housing axially adjustablecylinder valve 314. The valve body or block is depicted at 316. Ports302 and 306 are connected to receive air from a high pressure air sourcesuch as a conventional compressor system (not shown). Ports 308 and 310connect respectively to the up force air bag and the down force air bag.Finally, port 304 is a vent port for venting air from either the upforce air bag or the down, force air bag.

in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the port receiving high pressure air 306 isconnected through the valve block with down force bag 222 through outletport 310 with the central valve 312 shifted to the left in cylinder 314in a first position, shifted to the left. With the central cylinder inthis position, up force air bag 234 is connected to the vent port 304via port 308 so that up force air bag 235 is enabled to collapse whiledown force air bag 222 inflates. This deploys the rolling basket againstthe ground.

FIGS. 18A and 18B show the valve 312 in an alternate position with thecentral cylinder moved to the right. With the central in this position,port 302 is connected through the central cylinder to port 308 and port310 is connected to the central cylinder to port 304 and port 306 isdeadheaded. With the valve in this position, the source of high pressureair is connected through ports 302 and 308 to the up force air bag andthe down force is connected to vent through ports 310 and 304. This willenable the up force air bag to inflate and the down force air bag tocollapse in accordance with raising the rolling basket to an up orstowed position.

Another embodiment is shown and illustrated in the several views ofFIGS. 19A-24B which, like the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11A-16 employsdual air bags or inflatable pneumatic actuators to lower (deploy) andraise (retract) an agriculture implement. In this embodiment, theimplement is a trash whipping-type device. As shown in FIGS. 19A-19F,20A-20C, 21A-21C and FIGS. 24A and 24B, the trash whipping system,generally at 400, includes a pair of spiked disks 402 and 404 with dirtguards 406 and 408, respectively, mounted on a triangular mount 410(FIG. 23A) by means of a pair of bent flanges 412 and 414. A mainmounting cross member, preferably a tube member, is shown at 416 and aconnecting tube 418 has a fixed end fixed to the main mounting tube 416and a free end that carries the triangular mount 410. The connectingtube is preferably connected directly to the back of the flanges 412 and414 as by welding. The main member 416 is connected to a mountingstructure by heavy side plate members 420 and 422. As with otherembodiments, side plate members 420 and 422 pivot around a pair ofspaced shoulder bolts 424 which connect the members 420 and 422 to themounting structure including shaped members 426, which are fixed to orare a part of attachment or mounting plate 428 which, of course, can befastened to a main implement such as a multi-row planter with aplurality of other spaced trash whipping systems at a plurality ofplaces using conventional bolts, or the like, using openings 430. Asimilar system is shown in FIG. 10 with respect to rolling basketembodiments.

It will be appreciated that the mounting system of the invention can beused with many different disk varieties and those shown at 402 and 404are for illustration purposes. They can be used with or without dirtguards also.

The trash Whipping system further includes a down force or deploymentair bag arrangement that includes a down force or deployment air bag 432mounted between a bottom pedestal 434 and a fixed upper bracket 436. Thebottom pedestal is mounted to the lower assembly by spaced members 438and spaced fulcrum members 443 which are fixed to member 416 and members438 and 440 connected by opposed shoulder bolts 442 such that thepedestal can pivot freely on the shoulder bolts.

The system further includes an up force or retraction air bagarrangement that includes an up force or retraction air bag 444 that ismounted between a moving upper U-shaped bracket 446 and a bent flangebracket member 448. As best seen in FIGS. 19F, 20A and 21C, spaced legsof bracket 446 are also fixed to the lower assembly main tube 416 byspaced fulcrum plates 450 which are fixed to member 416 and the spacedlegs of bracket 446 are connected pivotally to fulcrum plates 450 byopposed shoulder bolts 424 on which the bracket 448 can pivot freely.

Air lines are connected respectively to down force and up force air bags432 and 444 and to a conventional supply of pressurized air (not shown).The system is configured, as will be described.

FIG. 22 depicts a control system for the trash whip assembly in thelifted or stowed position. The system includes an electronic regulator500 which can be set to control output pressure and thus, the pressurein a connected air bag over a wide range. A manual regulator is shown at502.

In FIG. 22, air coming from a supply such as a compressor accumulatortank (not shown) is supplied to regulators 500 and 502 at 504 and 506,respectively. Output streams from the regulators 500 and 502 are shown,respectively, at 508 and 510.

In the diagram of FIG. 22, the down force pressure supply 516 enteringport 506 is supplied constantly at a suitable pressure to act as a shockabsorber to the down force air bag through 510, typically, 18-20 lbs.Air is supplied to adjustable electronic regulator 500 through an inputport at 504 and air is supplied to up force airbag through an outputport at 508. It will be appreciated, however, that air is being suppliedto both the down force air bag and the lift air bag.

With air being supplied to both the lift and down force air bags, astate of equilibrium can be achieved and maintained with the whippingdevice in any desired position of mechanical resistance with respect tothe deployed mechanism. This disposition also allows the operator tovary the net upward or downward force as desired using the electronicregulator 500. Of course, the electronic regulator 500 can also bereplaced by a manual control, if desired. In this manner, the trashwhipping device can be controlled to exert any desired downward force orbe controlled to float, just skimming the top of the soil. This achievesa continuous operator-directed control over the operation of the trashwhipping device which has been demonstrated to be highly successful. Itwill be appreciated that other implements could be mounted on andcontrolled by this system.

This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in orderto comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in theart with the information needed to apply the novel principles and toconstruct and use such specialized components as are required. However,it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out byspecifically different equipment and devices, and that variousmodifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can beaccomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.

What is claimed is: 1-11. (canceled)
 12. A mounting system for a trashwhipping field conditioning implement system comprising: an adjustableattachment mechanism suitable for attaching trash whipping disks furthercomprising: (a) a mounting structure including a mounting plate adaptedto be fixed to a seed planter or tow bar that is adapted to be drawn bya tractor; (b) a pair of arms pivotally attached to the mountingstructure in parallel, spaced relation flanking said mounting structure,said arms extending away from the mounting plate; (c) a lower assemblyincluding a main cross member connected between said pair of arms; (d) atriangular mount, suitable for carrying a pair of residue managingdisks, fixed to said cross member; (e) a pneumatic actuator arrangementoperatively coupled between the mounting structure and said lowerassembly for selectively raising and lowering the triangular mountrelative to the ground; and (f) wherein said pneumatic actuatorarrangement includes down force and lift air bags operably attached tosaid lower assembly.
 13. An implement as in claim 12 wherein said airbags are operably attached to said lower assembly by spaced shoulderbolts, each being attached to a fulcrum member connected to said lowerassembly connected between said pair of arms.
 14. A mounting system asin claim 12 wherein said air bags can be operated such that inflation ofsaid lift air bag causes deflation and collapse of said down force airbag to cause the triangular mount and any attached disks to be raisedout of contact with the ground.
 15. A mounting system as in claim 12wherein said air bags can be operated such that inflation of said downforce air bag causes deflation of said left air bag to produce a downforce on said triangular mount and any attached disks.
 16. A mountingsystem as in claim 12 wherein said pair of arms are connected to pivoton a pair of spaced shoulder bolts.
 17. A mounting system as in claim 12including a pair of trash whipping disks mounted on said triangularmount.
 18. A mounting system as in claim 14 including a pair of trashwhipping disks mounted on said triangular mount.
 19. A mounting systemas in claim 15 including a pair of trash whipping disks mounted on saidtriangular mount.
 20. A method of operating a trash whipping implementattached to a seed planter comprising adjusting the net force of thetrash whipping implement against the ground as desired using a pneumaticactuator system.
 21. A method as in claim 20 wherein the net force isadjusted by modulating relative air pressure in down force and lift airbags.